Lifting and propelling mechanism for vehicles



June 4, 1935. 'r. E. BURKHARDT LIFTING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FORVEHICLES Filed Aug. 22, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO)? 1 2. dab/4 ATTORNE r June. 4, 1935. T. E. BURKHARDT LIFTING AND PROPELLINGMECHANISM'FOR VEHICLES 5 Sheeis-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1932 v ///////X ZRN R Q Y 'INVENTO R A TTORNE y I June 4, 1935. T, 1-; BURKHARDT2,003,627

LIFTING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 22, 1932 5Sheets-Sheet 3 g INVENTOR B Y we. WW W ATTORNEY June 4, 1935. T.BURKHARDT LIFTING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES File Aiig. 22,1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. /3. 1:! 16 mi 123 124 127.\

INVENTOR 5 72am 2. 3m

A 770mm Y June 4, 1935.

T. E. BURKHARDT LIFTING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES Filed Aug.22, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 4, I935 UNITED j STATESI ILIFTILl'G AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES Thomas E. Burkhardt,Dayton, Ohio- Application August 22,

28 Claims.

.This invention relates to a vehicle lifting and propelling mechanism,and more particularly to a device of this character for facilitatingparking of the vehicle and turning in narrow lanes.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide selfcontained apparatus of this character in a vehicle, which is simple andeconomical in construction, highly effective and easily controlled inoperation, which utilizes the motive power of the vehicle for effectingthe lifting and propelling operation, and which is composed of few andinexpensive parts providing high economy in initial cost, and which havelong life to afiord low maintenance cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide in apparatus of thischaracter a hydraulically operated lifting mechanism which affords alift of substantial extent with mechanism of comparatively smallover-all size, and which can be normally retained in inoperativeposition on the vehicle at a height sufficient to provide desired groundclearance. I

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of thischaracter having propelling or lateral shifting mechanism for thevehicle in lifted position which is simple and inexpensive inconstruction, and which affords high traction and provides an easycushioned movement of thevehicle even over comparatively rough surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a lifting andpropelling mechanism for a vehicle in which the use of parts which aresubject to rapid deterioration 'or mechanical failure, such as clutchesand gears, are minimized or avoided, which has small weight, andwhich'is easy to install in standard makes of vehicles. a

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description, the accompanying drawings and appendedclaims. I

In the drawings, in which like characters of reference are used todenote like parts throughout the several views thereof- V Fig. 1 is aplan'view of an automobile, with parts broken away and in section, inorder to illustrate the application andc'onstruction of the device ofthe present invention; Fig; 2*is a side elevation of the vehicle of Fig.l, with parts of the vehicle omitted and other parts broken away andinsection for the sake of clearness in illustration; 1 Fig. 3v is a sideelevational view on 'an enlarged scale of the lifting and propellingmech 1932, Serial No. 629,813

anism of'Figs. 1 and 2 mounted on the rear axle of the vehicle;

r Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on the plane of the line 4-4of Fig. 3 which is a broken section'line to pass through the bolt holemount- Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the control valve casing forthe hydraulic lifting mechanism, the valve being shown removed from itscasing; f

Fig. 5a is a vertical sectional view through the control valve removedfrom its casing;

Fig. 5b is aside elevational view of, the control valve and easing withthe cover removed;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating another modified form ofthe invention;

'Fig. 7 is a side elevational view oi the device of Fig. 6;

Fig, 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 8-8of Fig. 7;

, Fig. 9 isa sectional view taken on the of the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; I

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view with parts in section'of the hydrauliclift and valve control for the device of Fig. 6; p

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the valve of Fig. 10, shownremovedfrom its casing;

plane Fig. lla'is a sectional view through the valve 1 casing of Fig.10, with thevalve removed from the casing;

Fig. 11b is a vertical sectional view through the valve of Fig. 10,shown removed from, its casing;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the fifthwheel shown in Fig. 6, detached fromthe car;

Fig. .12a is a side elevational view of the fifth wheel of Fig. 12; v

Fig. 121) is a partial vertical sectional View through the fifth wheel,taken on the plane of the line l 2bl2b of Fig. 12; Fig. 13 is arearelevational view, with parts broken, away and in section, of thevehicle of Fig. 6, when mounted on the fifth wheel; Fig. 14 is a detailview, with parts broken away and in section, of the portion of the fifthwheel of Fig. 6 carrying the cushioning piston; Fig. 15 is'a partialplan View of a form of the invention in which the lifting mechanism ismounted on the frame, and includes a locking device between the frameand axle or differential housing; I

Fig. 15a is aside elevation of a vehicle with the device of Fig. 15mounted thereon; and

Fig. 16 1's a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the linel6-l6 of Fig. 15."

Referring to the drawings, in which are disclosed preferred embodimentsof the invention, the frame of an automotive vehicle is indicated at 0,with rear axle ll, front axle l2, and normal running wheels l3. Mountedon the frame is the engine I5, whose crankshaft (not shown) drivesthrough conventional transmission mechanism including a flywheel [6,enclosed within a housing H, a drive shaft l8, which in turn drivesthrough conventional differential mechanism enclosed Within thedifferential housing l9, to the rear wheels. The body of the car isindicated at 20, with dash at 2|, conventional gear shift lever in thedrivers compartment at 22, and spare tire carrier and tire at 23. Noattempt has been made to illustrate in detail the construction of theparts of the vehicle, as any conventional construction of vehicle can beequipped with this device, the illustration being sufiicient to showthemounting and general proportioning of the parts of the device on avehicle of standard make.

Bolted to the frame, or as shown to the differential housing l9 by bolt24, and at one side thereof, is a block 24 carrying a cylinder 25,having an interior bore 26, within which is slidably mounted an outerpiston 21. Cylinder 25 carries at the lower end thereof a threaded ring28, having an inwardly projecting portion supporting an annular packing29, which extends within the bore 26, and cooperates with an off setshoulder 30 formed at the upper end of the piston 21 to provide a stoplimiting the downward travel of this outer piston. An inner piston 32 isin turn movably mounted for rectilinear motion within the interior bore33 of outer piston 21, and has an offset shoulder 34 at the upper endthereof which cooperates with annular packing 35 carried by a threadedring 36, fastened to the lower end of piston 21, to thereby form a stopfor limiting the downward movement of the inner piston.

Inner piston 32 is hollow as shown at 38, to provide lightness, and isintegrally connected at the lower end thereof with a downwardlyextending cylindrical portion 39, which is formedv with an outwardlyoffset extension 40, positioned below the lower extremities of cylinder25 and outer piston 21. Mounted in extension is a projecting pin or axle4|, on which is 'journaled a pulley 42, shown as provided with threeperipheral V-shaped grooves 43. Pulley 42 is freely rotatable on axle,

, being retained thereon by nut 44, which is received on the outerthreaded end of the axle.

Mounted directly on drive shaft 18, for example on the conventional rearpinion gear shaft which protrudes from the differential housing I9 andforms part of the drive to the rear wheels, is a pulley 41, which hasthree corresponding V-shaped grooves 48, formed therein. Pulley 41 isfixed to drive shaft extensionl8 to rotate therewith, being shown asbolted thereto at 4-1. Endless flexible members, shown as V-shapedrubberized fabric belts 49 interconnect pulleys 4'! and 42 when pulley42 is lowered by the lifting mechanism to elevate the vehicle. Inaccordance with the present invention, crank case oil is utilizedas thefluid medium for lowering pistons 21 and 32 and for elevating the rearend of the vehicle. As shown more particularly in Figs. 1, and 2, aconventional'type of gear pump having. the usual orislightly higherpressure through the outlet 55.

pressure of discharge, provided with casing 50, and intermeshing pumpinggears 5| and 52, is mounted within the crank case I1. Shaft 53 on whichis keyed gear 52 is extended beyond its bearing in the gear housing 50to the exterior thereof, and carries a gear 54 which meshes with a gearformed on the flywheel l6. Consequently when the engine I5 is operated,the gear pump is driven to draw in oil from the bottom of the crank casethrough the suction intake 55 of the pump and discharge it under Thepump is provided in customary manner with a safety valve and by-passbleeder 56' to avoid excess pressure.

A pipe 51 connects outlet 56 to a valve casing 58, mounted on the dash2|. Any suitable type of valve control can be employed, that shown beinga rotary cylindrical valve 59, journaled in the oil tight valve casing58. Valve 59 is provided with a stem 60 which extends out through thefront of the casing and is connected to a control handle 6|, for manualcontrol thereof. Pipe 51 is connected to the rear end of the valvecasing 58 in liquid tight relationship, and is positioned adjacent theperiphery of the rear face of valve 59 in the relationship indicated inFig. 5. Also connected to and opening through the rear end Wall of valvecasing 58 is a pipe 63, which extends rearwardly to the liftingcylinder, pipe 63 being connected at an angular relationship ofapproximately from the connection of pipe 51. Valve disk 59 is formed inthe rear face thereof with a channel 64 extending from points on theperiphery thereof which are displaced approximately 90 in angularrelation: ship. Consequently, in one position of the valve, channel 64interconnects pipe 51 with pipe 63 to thereby supply fluid underpressure from the gear pump to the lifting cylinder.

Also connected to the rear end of valve casing 58 at a pointdiametrically opposite the connection of pipe 5l, is a pipe 66 whichleads from the valve casing back to and discharges within the crank caseas indicated at 61. Pipe connection 66 is thus disposed in an angularspacing of from pipe 51, and of 90 from pipe 63. By turning valve 59through an angle of 9i), the connection between the pump and the liftingcylinder is thus cut off, and the lifting cylinder is thereby connectedthrough pipe 63 and channel 64 with the exhaust pipe 56, which allowsthe oil trapped in the system under pressure to flow back to thetransmission housing. The face and periphery of valve 59 have a groundliquid-tight fit with the cooperating portions of the valve casing 58,so that flow of oil is prevented except when channel 64 intercom nectstwo of the pipes. By turning valve 59 further in the same direction, thevalve then cuts off communication between any two of the pipes, and thisis the position generally employed during normal operation ofthevehicle. Suitable indicating marks or spring detent stops, can beprovided in well-known manner for rendering the turning of the controlhandle to the 3 operating positions of the valve, easy and certain.

The rear end of pipe 63 is supported by a mounting 10 on the side ofcylinder 25, and is interconnected by a flexible tube H, with a pipeconnection 12 mounted in the lower end of the shaft extension 39of innerpiston 32 in communication with a passageway 13 extending upwardlythrough the skirt or side wall of the'piston and opening at 14' intothespace between the top of innerpiston 32 and the under side of outerpiston 21. Thus when valve 59 is turned .to interconnect pipes 57 and63, and the engine is operated, oil under pressure is supplied to thespace between inner and outer pistons 32 and 21, forcing the innerpiston 32 downwardly until the shoulder 34 contacts with the annularseat 35, or until a passage 16 is uncovered. As inner piston 32 nearsthe end of its downward movement, it uncovers a passage 76 in the innerwall of outer piston 2i. Passage l6 communicates with a verticallyextending passage 11 extending upwardly through the skirt or side wallof outer piston 21, and opening as indicated at [8 into the spacebetween the top of piston 2'! and the under side of cylinder 25. Thusafter lowering movement of the inner piston 32 to uncover port it, oilunder pressure isthen supplied from the accumulation between inner andouter pistons 32 and 21 through passages it and Ti to the space betweenthe outer piston and the cylinder, thereby forcing the outer piston 2'l'downwardly until shoulder 3i] contacts with annular seat 29. During thelowering movement of outer piston 23, the inner piston 32 remainsextended from the lower end of the outer piston and moves downwardlyalong with the outer piston. The extension of the pistons is thuseffected in seriatim.

During this lowering movement of the pistons, pulley 42 with belts 49 inplace about the lower ends of the grooves 43, is moved downwardly untilthe outer flat surfaces 80 of the belts, which protrude somewhat beyondthe outer extremities of the Vs of the pulley, contact with the ground.Further lowering movement of the pistons then raises the rear vehiclewheels 13 from the ground to a position such as indicated in Fig. 2, therear end of the vehicle then being supported on the three flexible belts49, functioning as tires. The stroke of the pistons is so coordinatedwith the mounting of the cylinder and piston assembly upon the axle ordifferential housing of the car that the extension of both pistons issufiicient to effect a raising of the vehicle to remove the wheels fromthe ground as shown. Due to the double extensible piston constructionshown, a cylinder and pistons of comparatively small length can beemployed to give substantial lifting action and the entire unit can bemounted in collapsed or nonextended position at an elevation on thevehicle to give substantial ground clearance, as well as body clearancewith relation to the movable parts of the chassis, for example as muchas is afforded in the conventional mounting of the differential and rearaxle housings of the vehicle. Cylinder 25 can be mounted at a smallangle, such as 1 to 3, if necessary, so that in the operative positionof the device, pulley 42 will lie directly beneath the drive shaft orthe center or" weight of the rear end of the vehicle.

When the pistons are extended to raise the vehicle, the flexible belts49 are drawn taut or tensioned about the pulleys ll and 42, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. The lengths of the belts are coordinated with thepositioning of the pulleys and the stroke of the pistons so as to be inproper engagement with the drive pulley 41 to be driven thereby onlywhen the pistons are extended and the vehicle is raised. When thepistons are moved back within the cylinder to their inoperative positionforthe normal running of the vehicle, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4,considerable slack is provided in they belts 49 in vided a lever 83,pivotally mounted at 84 on;

the side of the difierential housing l9 intermediate the vertical planespassing through the centers of the respective pulleys. (See Fig. 4.) Aplurality of suchlevers can be employed, but one is suilicient in theconstruction shown. The lever is provided with three V-shaped grooves 85adjacent one end thereof, adapted to receive and support the upperportions of belts 49 in the reach of the belts extending between the twopulleys.

The lever 23 is provided with an arm 86 at the side of the pivot filopposite from the beltreceiving grooves 85, to which is attached aspring means normally urging the lever to swing about pivota so as toraise the grooved end 35 and lift belts 49 from driving contact withpulley ll, and to take'up any slack in the belts so as to hold them tautabout lower pulley t2 and keep them properly supported and lifted out ofthe way during normal operation of the vehicle. This position of lever63 and belts 49 is shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 4, and theposition of the lever when the vehicle is lifted is shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3. The hydraulic force of the lifting mechanismpvercomesthe action of the spring means as the grooved end 85 of the lever ispulled downwardly by the tightening of the belts during the liftingoperation of the vehicle. As shown, arm 86 is provided with a slot orhole 89 near the end thereof through which loosely passes a rod 99carrying spaced nuts orwashers 9| and 92 above and below the lever forretaining the lever in place and forming an adjustment device for themovement of the lever. On the upper end of rod 9!; 'is an enlarged end93 which slides in a housing fit attached to the rear axle housing. Acompression spring 95 is mounted within housing St between the upper endof the housing and thetop of rod end 93 and urges the lever toward thefull line position shown in Fig. 3. The slot 89 is of suflicient extentto allow for the pivoted movement of the lever with translationalmovement of rod 90.

When the valve 59 is turned to connect pipe 63 with exhaust pipe 66, theweight of the vehicle will force the oil from the cylinders back tothecrank casehousing, and due to the size of the pipes the loweringaction will be gradual so that the rear wheels of the car will not comedown with an objectionable jar. To complete the raising of the pistonsto inoperative position, there is provided a strong tension spring Hill,mounted in a casing 'Hll, fastened to the wall of differential housingiii, the spring being connected at its lower end to a rod I03 and at itsupper end to a block I92 fastened to or formed as a part of the top ofcasing Hll. Rod 183 is fastened at its lower end as indicated at I04 toan outwardly extending arm Hi connected to or integral with theextension shaft 39 of inner piston 32. Spring I 00 is of suilicienttensional strength to force the oil first from the space between thecylinder and the outer piston to allow raising of the outer piston withthe inner piston carried in extended relationship from the lower endthereof, and then force the oil from between the inner and outerpistons, to thereby return the assembly to inoperative position. r a

In operation, when it is desired to park the vehicle in a limited space,the operator can run the car in at an angle so-that the frontwheels arein the approximate parked position. The gear shift lever 22 then beingin neutral position with the motor I5 running, the operator turns valve59 to connect pipes 51 and 63 so that the pump forces oil to the liftingcylinder to extend the pistons. During this movement the belts 49 areautomatically positioned and tensioned about pulleys 41 and 42, the rearwheels of the car being lifted from the ground and the rear of the carbeing supported upon the flat surfaces 86 of the belts protruding fromthe bottom of pulley 42. The operator then moves the gear shift levereither into first speed or reverse, depending on the direction ofrotation of the drive shaft of the car. Normally to park on the righthand side of the street, this will be accomplished bymoving the leverinto thereverse speed, which will connect the running engine to thedrive shaft and thereby rotate pulley to drive belts 49. This will givea wrapping action of the belts about the lower pulley 42, much in thenature of a tractor drive, affording high tractionand at the same timeproviding a resilient or cushioned movement of the car over obstructionsor rough surfaces. This will swing the rear end of the car about a pivotpoint intermediate to the front wheels and thus bring the car into thecurb. When the car has been swung inwardly to the desired extent, it isonly necessary to throw in the usual clutch or move the gear shift leverinto neutral, and perhaps apply the usual car brake, whereupon the driveshaft will be quickly stopped, and due to the tension in the belts 49,an automatic braking action on the parking wheel will result.

If desired, the car can be left in elevated position when parked. Thismay be done by turning valve 59 to a shut-off position, which will holdthe fluid pressure within the lifting cylinder when the ignition is cutoff" and the engine is stopped. Or the car may be lowered to normalposition in the parking space by simply turning valve 59 to connect pipe63 with exhaust pipe 56, whereupon the pistons will be returned to theirinoperative position, and belts 49 will be automatically withdrawn fromdriving contact with pulley 41. When it is desired to move the car outof a parked position, the same operation is followed, except that thegear shift lever in this instance will be moved into the reverse of theformer position so as to drive the belts in the opposite direction.

The present invention possesses many advantages asto simplicity andeconomy in construction, as standard parts including pulleys, drivingbelts, and hydraulic cylinders, can be used. The mechanism is light inweight, which is of prime importance in a vehicle of this character. Itis simply controlled, having only one additional control valve easilyoperated from the drivers compartment in addition to the usual controlsof the car. The use and installation of expensive gearing and clutchesare entirely obviated. Special shaft and gearing connections to thedrive shaft of the car are also elnninated by the direct drive in whichthe driving pulley is easily installed directly on the drive shaft orthe exterior of the. customary housings. The car ,supplies its ownmotive power for the lifting and propelling operations,

and supplies its own motive fluid for the hydraulic cylinders from asource of supply which is inherent in the construction of modernvehicles, thereby eliminating special reservoirs, storage tanks andtheir accessory equipment.

In Figs 6-14 inclusive is shown a somewhat modified form of device.Referring more particularly to Figs. 6 and -7, the frame of the vehicleis indicated at IS, with rear axle at II, engine at I5, operating crankshaft at I4, which drives through conventional change speed gearing,mounted in transmission housing II under the control of a gear shiftlever 22' and clutch pedal 22 in the customary manner, to a drive shaftI8. The latter drives through conventional differential mechanismmounted within differential housing I9 to the rear wheels indicated atI3.

Pivot lugs III! are mounted on opposite sides of the differentialhousing I9, somewhat below the horizontal center line thereof. Pivotallymounted on these lugs are arms III which are rigidly fastened to aninner annular race II2 (Fig. 12). Each arm I II carries a bearing sleeveII3 which rotatably receives lug III). On its outer periphery, innerrace H2 is provided with a semi-circu1ar raceway I I4. Surrounding innerrace H2 and concentric therewith is an outer race I I6, which on itsinner periphery is formed with a semi-circular raceway III. Mountedbetween races I82 and H6 are a plurality of ball bearings H8 forrotatably supporting the outer race III with respect to the inner raceII2. Any suitable form of roller or plain bearings can be employed.Suitable ball bearing guides and holders or spacers are indicated atII9. Threaded into the inner race H2 is a key or plug 52 (Fig. 14)having an opening I2l in the outer end thereof for the reception of apin or tool for facilitating insertion of the plug into position and itsremoval therefrom. Upon assembly of the parts, balls IE8 are insertedthrough the opening provided by removal of plug I20 and forced about theannular raceway together with the spacers therefor, and then plug I20 ismounted in place. Plug I 20 also is provided with a semi-circularraceway I22, and with a locating hole I23 in the opposite end thereof,

through which is passed a pin I24 mounted in an arm I25 rigidly carriedby inner race II2, to thereby maintain plug I20 in proper position.

Outer race I16 is provided with a ring gear I2? and with a groundengaging surface I28 extending at an angle to the outer surfaces of thegearteeth. As shown, an angle of approximately 24 gives verysatisfactory results with the construction illustrated, although thiscan be varied. Inner race H2 is constructed as indicated at I29 toprovide a large annular open space. The outer and inner annular racesare thus pivotally mounted upon the differential housing to swing froman inoperative position shown in full lines in Figs. 6 and 7, to agenerally upright position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7. In the upperinoperative position, the races thus surround the lower portion of thedifferential housing and thereby maintain substantially 1 the groundclearance which is afforded by the differential housing of the car. Asthe differential housing is generally about the lowest portion of theframe of the car, it forms an advantageous mounting for the liftingmechanism, enabling parts of smaller over-all size and weight to beutilized and still obtainthe desired lifting eifect.

Pivotally connected to inner race H2 at the side opposite the pivotalmounting IIO, as indicated at the opening I3I, is a rod I32, which ispivotally fastened at its opposite. end,.indicated at I33, to an armI34, rigidly mounted at I to a protruding portion of a piston rod I36,carrying a piston I31, mounted within a hydraulic cylinder I33, fastenedto frame I8.

Pressure i'iuid, which may be air, is supplied to the cylinder by pumpI40, which is connected to and driven by the crank shaft I4 through aconventional gear train (not shown), so as to be operated when theengine I5 runs. This may be the usual air pump which is conventionalequipment on certain cars for pumping air to deflated tires or otherdesired purpose. Such pump is generally equipped with a throw out fordisconnecting it from the drive when not in use. A pipe I4I connects thedischarge side of the pump with a valve casing I42, within which ismounted a cylindrical plug valve I43, having a stem I44 which extends tothe exterior of the casing for manipulation by handle F45. The valvecasing is preferably mounted on the inner side of the dash 2| so as tobe under the control of the driver of the vehicle. Valve I43 is providedwith a cored passage or channel I41, affording communication in oneposition of the valve with a pipe I48 opening into one end of cylinderI38 as indicated at I49. The opposite end of cylinder I38 is connectedby a pipe I50, to the valve casing, and this in turn is connected bychannel I5I formed in valve I43 with an exhaust port I52, formed in thevalve casing. Pipes I48, I4I, I50 and exhaust port I52 are arrangedabout the valve casing at an angular displacement of 90, as shown inFig. 11. In one position of the valve,that shown in Fig. 11, pressureair is thus supplied to the left-hand side of piston I31, as shown in'Figs. I and I0, while the right-hand side of the piston is connected toexhaust to atmosphere. By shifting valve I43 clockwise as shown in Fig.11 through an angle of 90, channel I41 will then connect the pump withpipe I50 to supply pressure air to; the righthand side of piston I31,while the lefthandle I45 to move valve I43'to the position shown in Fig;11, piston I3! is moved to the right-hand end of the cylinder, therebycarry-.

ing to the right the piston rod I 36, and arm I34, and serving to swingthe annular races through the agency of the rod I32 from the inoperativeposition to the lifting position. Mounted on arm I25 carried by innerrace H2, is a cylinder I55, carrying a movable piston I56. An annularthreaded ring I51 fastened to cylinder I55 cooperates with a shoulderI58 on piston I56 to limitmovement of the piston in one direction, thehead of the cylinder limiting move ment in the opposite direction. SkirtI59 of piston I56 is hollow as indicatedat I60, and within the hollowedout portion is fastened an axle or pin I6! on which is rotatably mounteda roller I62. The space I63 between piston I56 and the head of cylinderI55 is normally under atmospheric pressure through the agency of a ventI64. Over the vent is fastened a relief casing I65 containing a veryfine pin hole, to

thereby restrict the escape of air from spacev I63 uponcompressivemovement of the piston.

A series of coiled springs I 61,'mounted betweenthe head of the cylinderand spring receiving.

sockets I68 in the upperv end of. the piston, nor mally urge the pistonoutwardly toward the end of its stroke and allow space I63 to fill withair under atmospheric pressure. Springs I61 also serve to maintainpiston I56. against rotational movement within the cylinder, so thatroller I 62 is disposed in properoperating position.

Cylinder I55 is so mounted'on innerrace II2, that when the piston I56 istoward the outer end of its stroke, for example, the position shown in.Fig. 8, roller I 62 will first contact with the ground as-the races areswung to lifting position. It will be noted that the races form anauxiliary-wheel which in its raised or inoperative position is in. agenerally horizontal plane, and in its lowered or operative position isin a generally Vertical position with its axis of rotation approachingparallelism with thelongitudinal axis of the vehicle, while the planeinwhich the outer race turns is approximately at 90 to that of the usualor. normal running wheels of the vehicle.

Axis I6I of roller I62 is mounted generally parallel with the rear axleI I of the car, so

that a free rolling movement of roller I62 is afforded when it contactswith the ground upon swinging movement of the races. As the races aremoved further into elevated position under the action of hydrauliccylinder I38 and con-' necting rod I32, weight of the car is imposed on.

roller I 62 and piston I56, giving a compressive movement of the pistonwithin cylinder I55.

As the escape of air, which is now compressed in space I63, ismaterially restricted by the ori-' fice in member I65, piston I56 ismaintained ,sufliciently toward the outer end of its stroke by thecombined force of the compressed air! and springs I61, as to entirelysupport the weight of the rear end of the vehicle until the races aremoved completely into the operative elevated position, shown in dottedlinesin Fig; 1. The gradual escape of air then allows piston I56 togradually move upwardly within cylinder I55 until finally the weight ofthe car istransferred from roller I62 to the ground engaging surface I28of outer race H6. The hydraulic cylinder carried at the lower end ofthe-auxiliary wheel thus not only cushions the impactof the wheel withthe ground but also allows a,

gradual movement of the auxiliary Wheel into contact with the groundunder the weight im-- posed by the vehicle. Roller I 62 at-the same timeafiords an easy frictionless rolling movement of the auxiliary wheelinto the lifting position.

Mounted directly on drive shaft I8 in ad- Vance of the differentialhousing I9 is a pinion race is such that gear vehicle. The freedom ofthe outer race to turn when first engaging the outer part of the gearteeth will prevent any binding (of the gears, es-

pecially if the gears are made with afull tooth instead of the stubsection. The action of the hydraulic force in cylinder I38 serves tomain-a tain the lifting device in its' raised position. Motive power torotate annular race I I 8 about inner race H2 is then under the controlof the operator. through the usual clutch control 22a and gear shiftlever 22 to operate the drive shaft from the engine andthereby rotatethe fifth wheel to cause a swinging or parking move ment of the rear endof the vehicle. The mounting of the outer race is such as to provide africtionless rolling contact on the antifriction bearings II8, while atthe same time the rolling movement can be quickly terminated by stoppingthe operation of the drive shaft, such as by throwing out the clutch22a, or shifting the gear shift lever 22' into neutral, and applying theusual car brake if necessary, the engagement of the gear teeth of pinionI10 with the teeth of ring gear I21 providing a positive braking orstopping action for the rotation of the annular outer race.

It will be noted that in the operative or raised positions of the races,they extend at an angle to the vertical, although the ground engagingsurface I28 of the outer race is in flat contact with the ground. Theconstruction is such that the gear teeth I21 are maintained at all timesout of contact with the ground. Moreover, this angular inclination isinstrumental in lessening the force required to move the races fromoperative position toward inoperative position under the action of thehydraulic cylinder I 38, when the valve I43 is reversed. Of course,fluid connections could be provided to cylinder I55 to positively forcepiston I55 downwardly to again raise the vehicle onto roller I62.However, this is not necessary with the construction shown, as theweight of the car itself tends to swing the races about their pivotpoints I I0 and so to allow the wheels I3 to come into contact with theground. The initial force of the hydraulic fluid in cylinder I38,tending to force piston I31 toward theleft, (as shown in Fig. *7) issuihcient to initiate a tilting movement about the forward edge of theground engaging surface I28, and the weight of the car then acceleratesthis movement to bring the rear wheels of the car back into contact withthe ground. The movement of the piston I31 back to the left end of thecylinder I38 then raises the lifting mechanism to the inoperativeposition.

In order to maintain the lifting mechanism in its inoperative positionwith a resilient mounting, and to return or assist in returning themechanism to inoperative position, a spring I12 is provided, one end ofwhich is connected at I13 to a portion of the frame In, and the otherend connected to a cable I14, which .passes around a pulley I15, mountedon a bracket I16,-

carried by the differential housing I9. The end of the cable I14 isconnected as shown at I11 to' a portion of the inner race H2, forexample to an eyelet on the hydraulic cylinder I55. If desired, when theparts have been returned to their inoperative position, valve I43 can beturned to an intermediate position which cuts off communication of thepump with all pipes of the lifting mechanism.

The operation of this form of the inventionis thought apparent from theabove description. As in the previous case, the car to be parked is runin at an angle with the front wheels adjacent the curb. With the enginerunning, the operator then moves the control lever I45 of valve I43 toactuate the lifting mechanism to raised position, which automaticallyconnects the direct drive to the fifth wheel with the drive shaft. Thenby actuation of the clutch and gear shift lever, the

. drive shaft is interconnected with the engine to thereby rotate thefifth wheel and swing the rear end of the vehicle into parked position.

The two embodiments of the invention shownherein have in common markedsimplicity in construction, compactness, a minimum of weight, andfreedom from unnecessary complication of parts which are likely to getout of repair. Both forms afford unusual ease of control on the part ofthe operator, having only one valve in addition to the normal controlsof the car; utilize a direct drive for the parking wheel, which isautomatically brought into driven relationship with the drive shaft uponactuation of the lifting mechanism, and automatically disconnected fromdriven relationship therewith on movement of the lifting mechanism toinoperative position, together with means for resiliently holding theparts in inoperative position to avoid rattle, and maintain groundclearance.

While the lifting and parking mechanism is illustrated for the rearwheels of the car, it is obvious that the mechanism can be installed onthe front frame or axle to elevate the front wheels, or on both thefront and rear, if desired.

In Figs. 15, 15a and 16 is shown a somewhat modified form of theinvention, in which the lifting and propelling mechanism is supported bythe frame of the car, rather than on the differential housings or axlehousings, to suit the school of thought in automotive construction thatdemands little or no sprung weight that is not essential. As shown, thelifting hydraulic cylinder 25*, is identical with the construction shownin Figs. 1 to 5, as are also the constructions of the belt drive fromthe pulley of the hydraulic cylinder to the drive shaft, the beltcarrying lever, the spring return for the pistons, and the hydrauliccircuit and control therefor. The hydraulic cylinder is fastened at I89to the frame I9 adjacent the differential housing 59 and rear axle I lso as to extend at a small angle from the vertical as previouslydescribed. In order to interconnect the frame with the differentialhousing or axle to prevent relative movement therebetween when thehydraulic lift is actuated, an automatic lock between these parts isprovided.

As shown, a V-shaped locking bar I82 is pivoted at I83 to the side ofthe rear axle housing I I Attached to one end of the V-bar is a rodforming an armature I85, which cooperates with a solenoid coil I85mounted within a suitable casing (not shown) on the rear axle Il The baris normally urged by a spring I86 toward the rear, axle I I so as toswing the opposite end I81 of the bar to the dotted line position. Whencoil I85 is energized, this overcomes the force of spring I86 and swingsthe bar about the pivot I83 to the full line position shown, in whichthe arm I81 enters a slot I88 between a series of lugs I89, carried bythe wall of cylinder 25, thereby locking the cylinder and frame to thedifferential housing and rear axle so that these parts are elevated inunison.

As a convenient means for automatically actuating this locking memberwhen the lift mechanism is utilized, a switch in the circuit of solenoidcoil I85 is mounted on the valve casing 53 which controls the supply offluid to hydraulic cylinder 25 Valve stem 66 carries a contact I90 whichis rotated into engagement with a contact I9I mounted on the face of thevalve casing, as the control handle Bl is turned so as to supply fluidto the hydraulic cylinder to effect the lifting operation. A lead I92from the usual car battery I93, or other suitable electrical system ofthe vehicle, is connected to contact l9l. A lead I94 leads from contact98 to the coil I85, the latter being grounded to the frame.Consequently, as soon as the lifting operation is initiated, and beforethe pistons are extended sufliciently to start elevating the vehicle,the electrical connection to the solenoid is completed, and the frameand axle are locked for the lifting operation. The series of lugs are solocated that the locking bar normally enters the slot between one pairof lugs when the rear seat of the vehicle is not occupied or the car isnot loaded, and enters the slot between another pair of lugs when thecar is loaded. Should the bar happen to contact with the edge of anintermediate lug, the bar will slide into proper position within theslot when the lifting mechanism has effected a slight elevation of thevehicle. Should the valve control 6l be turned to break the electricalcircuit to the solenoid at the time the vehicle is lifted, the pull ofthe lifting force exerted between lug I89 and the V-bar E82 holds theparts in the locked position against the action of spring I86. As soonas the car is lowered to restore the parts to their normal relationship,this lifting force is removed, and spring lBfi then returns the V-bar tothe dotted line or released position, where it is maintainedduring thenormal operation of the vehicle.

While the forms of invention herein disclosed constitute preferredembodiments thereof it is to be understood that. the invention is notlimited to these precise forms, and that changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the scope of the invention which is defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle lifting mechanism for a vehicle having a frame, acylinder supported by the frame, an outer piston movable within thecylinder, an inner piston movable within the outer piston, a vehiclesupporting member carried by the inner piston, means for supplying fluidunder pressure between the inner and outer pistons, to force the innerpiston downwardly, and

a passage in the outer piston opening at one end within the interiorthereof at a position to be uncovered by the inner piston when the innerpiston approaches the end of its stroke, said passage opening at itsother end on the exterior of the outer piston at a position to supplyfluid under pressure between the outer piston and the cylinder tothereby force the outer piston together with the inner piston carriedthereby downwardly to raise the vehicle.

2. In a lifting and propelling mechanism for a vehicle having a frame,and a drive shaft supported by said frame; a vehicle supporting member,means for lifting said vehicle on said supporting member, a flexibleendless member for interconnecting said supporting member in drivenrelationship with said drive shaft for propelling said vehicle whenlifted on the su porting member, and means for automatically positioningsaid flexible endless member in driving relationship with drive shaftand supporting member as said vehicle is lifted onto said supportingmember.

3. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having a driveshaft, means for lifting the vehicle, and means for moving the vehiclewhen so lifted, comprising an endless flexible member driven from saiddrive shaft, said flexible member servingas' a tire for supporting: thevehicle in lifted position and during movement thereof.

4. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having a driveshaft, means for lifting the vehicle including a member having a pulleyadjacent the lower end thereof, and means for moving the vehicle when solifted, comprising an endless flexible member engaging said drive shaftto be driven thereby, said flexible member having a wrapping actionabout said pulley and being interposed between said pulley and theground to serve as a tire for supporting the vehicle in lifted positionand as a traction means for propelling the vehicle in lifted position.

5. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having a driveshaft, means for lifting the vehicle, means for moving the vehicle whenso lifted, comprising an endless flexible member connected to said driveshaft to be driven thereby, and means for bodily shifting the endlessflexible member from driven relationship with said drive shaft tothereby break the driving connection, said shifting means including,mechanism for holding said endless flexible member taut when thus bodilyremoved.

6. In a lifting and propelling device for a ve-' hicle having a driveshaft, means movable from an inoperative position in which the ve hicleis supported on its normal running wheels to an operative position inwhich wheels of the, vehicle are lifted from contactwith the ground,means for moving the vehicle when so lifted, comprising an endlessflexible member connected to said drive shaft to be driven thereby, andmeans for bodily removing said flexible member from driven relationshipwith said drive shaft as said lifting means is moved fromoperative toinoperative position, said last-mentioned means including mechanism forholding said endless flexible member taut when thus bodily removed.

'7 In a lifting and propelling device for a vehiclehaving a differentialhousing and driven shaft protruding therefrom, means mounted on thevehicle adjacent the differential housing for lifting the rear end ofthe vehicle including extensible members, said members interfittingonewithin another in collapsed positions thereof,

and extending one from the other in lifting. position thereof, apropelling device carried by the extensible member which is lowermost inthe lifting position of said members, a driving connection between saidprotruding shaft and said propeller device for driving said propellingdevice to propel said vehicle in lifted position thereof, and means forautomatically breaking said driving connection when said extensiblemembers are moved to collapsed positions annular member having a groundengaging surface for propelling the vehicle when so lifted.

9. In a lifting and propelling mechanism for a vehicle having a frame,an annular inner race pivoted to said frame to swing from an inoperativeposition to an upright position lifting said vehicle, an annular outerrace, and antifriction bearings for rotatably supporting said outer raceupon said inner race, said outer race having a ground engaging portion,and means for rotating said outer race to propel said vehicle.

10. In a lifting mechanism for a vehicle having a frame, a movablemechanism carried by the frame for engaging the ground and lifting thevehicle thereon, and a hydraulic cushioning member carried at the lowerend of said movable mechanism adapted to first conta-ct with the groundand then allow said mechanism to gradually come into contact with theground as weight of the vehicle is imposed thereon.

11. In a lifting. mechanism for a vehicle having aframe, a movablemechanism carried by the frame for engaging the ground and lifting thevehicle thereon, a cylinder carried at the lower end of said movablemechanism, a movable piston therein adapted to first engage the groundupon the actuation of said movable mechanism to lift the vehicle, andmeans for restricting the escape of fluid from said cylinder uponmovement of the piston to thereby cushion the contact of said movablemember with the ground and allow said movable member to gradually comeinto contact with the ground as weight of the vehicle is imposedthereon.

12. In a lifting mechanism for a vehicle having a frame, a movablemember supported by said frame and movable from an inoperative positionto a position supporting the weight of the vehicle thereon, hydraulicmeans for actuating said movable member, and an additional hydraulicmeans carried by said movable member and adapted to first engage theground to cushion the contact of said movable member with the ground andto allow the movable member to gradually come into contact with theground as weight of the vehicle is imposed thereon.

13. In a lifting and propelling mechanism for a vehicle having a frame,an inner race pivotally supported from said frame to swing from aninoperative to an upright position, an outer race, anti-frictionbearings rotatably supporting said outer race upon said inner race,hydraulic cushioning means carried by said inner race, a rollerpivotally mounted on said hydraulic cushioning means and adapted tofirst contact with the ground as said races are swung from inoperativeto upright position and to allow the outer race to gradually come intocontact with the ground when moved to upright position, and means forrotating said outer race to propel said vehicle.

. 14. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having an engineand a member driven therefrom, means for lifting the vehicle, and meansfor moving the vehicle when so lifted, comprising a flexible resilientmember having a driven engagement with said engine driven member, saidflexible member serving as a resilient and cushioning support for saidvehicle in lifted position and during movement thereof.

15. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having an engineand a member driven therefrom, means for lifting the vehicle including arotatable member adjacent the lower end thereof, and means for movingthe vehicle when so lifted, comprising a flexible resilient memberhaving a driven engagement with said engine driven member, said flexibleresilient member having a wrapping action about said rotatable memberand being interposed between said rotat-. able member and the ground toserve as a resilient and cushioning support for said vehicle in liftedposition and as a traction means for propelling the vehicle in liftedposition.

16. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having an engineand a member driven therefrom, means for lifting the vehicle, means formoving the vehicle when so lifted, comprising a flexible resilientmember having a driven engagement with said engine driven member andforming a cushioning support and traction means for the vehicle inlifted position, and means for removing said flexible resilient memberfrom driven engagement with the engine driven member as said liftingmeans is operated to lower the vehicle from lifted position thereof.

17. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle, means for liftingthe vehicle, and means for moving the vehicle when so lifted comprisinga driven member, and a flexible resilient member having a drivenengagement with said driven member and forming a cushioning support andtraction means for the vehicle in lifted position thereof.

18. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having an engineand a member driven thereby, a pulley having a V-shaped grooveinterconnected with said member to be driven thereby, means for liftingthe vehicle including a pulley having a corresponding V-shaped grooveformed therein, and a V-shaped belt interconnecting said first mentionedpulley in driving relationship with said second mentioned pulley whenthe vehicle is lifted, said belt having a wrapping action about saidsecond mentioned pulley and being interposed between said secondmentioned pulley and the ground to serve as a cushioning support for thevehicle in lifted position and as a traction means for propelling thevehicle in lifted position.

19. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having an engineand a member driven thereby, vertically movable means for lifting thevehicle including a base member, means for moving the vehicle when solifted comprising an endless flexible member extending about said basemember and connected to said driven member to be driven thereby, andmeans for bodily lifting said endless flexible member out of drivenrelationship with said driven member as said vertically movable means isreturned to inoperative position, said last mentioned means holding saidendless flexible member taut in position about said base member ininoperative position of the lifting means.

20. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle, lifting means forthe vehicle including a member adapted to support the vehicle in liftedposition, propelling means for said member to move the vehicle in liftedposition thereof, a roller carried by said lifting means adapted tofirst contact with the ground and provide a rolling movement of thelifting means to lifted position of the vehicle, and a dash pot mountingfor said roller to cushion the movement of the vehicle to raisedposition and then transfer weight of the vehicle from said roller tosaid supporting member for the propelling operation.

21. In a lifting and propelling mechanism for a vehicle having an engineand a gear driven thereby, an annular inner race pivotally supportedfrom said vehicle to swing from an inoperative position to an uprightposition, an annular outer race, anti-friction bearings rotatablysupporting said outer race from said inner race, a ring gear carried bysaid outer race and adapted to mesh in driven relationship with saiddriven gear as said races are swung to upright position, said annularouter race having a ground engagement surface for supporting andpropelling said vehicle when driven from said driven gear.

22. In a lifting and propelling mechanism for a vehicle, an auxiliarywheel mounted on said vehicle to move from an inoperative position to aposition lifting the vehicle thereon, a cylinder carried by saidauxiliary wheel, a piston movably mounted therein and adapted to firstengage the ground as said auxiliary wheel is lowered, means restrainingthe movement of said piston within said cylinder as weight of thevehicle is imposed thereon to thereby cushion the contact of saidauxiliary wheel with the ground and to allow the auxiliary wheel togradually come into contact with the ground, and means for driving saidauxiliary wheel to propel said vehicle when supported on said auxiliarywheel.

23. In a lifting and propelling mechanism for a vehicle, an auxiliarywheel pivotally 'supported from said vehicle to swing in a directiongenerally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to anupright position supporting the vehicle thereon, means for positivelyswinging said auxiliary wheel to upright supporting position, ahydraulic cylinder carried by said auxiliary wheel, a movable pistontherein, a rotatable member carried by said piston and adapted to firstengage the ground as said auxiliary wheel is swung to supportingposition,-

means for restricting discharge of fiuidfrom said cylinder uponcompressive movement of said piston therein, whereby the roller supportsthe auxiliary wheel out of contact with the ground as the vehicle islifted thereon until the auxiliary wheel has been swung substantially toupright supporting position, the escape of fiuid from the cylinder thenallowing the auxiliary wheel to gradually come in contact with theground, and means for driving the auxiliary wheel to propel the vehiclewhen supported thereon.

24. In a lifting device for a vehicle having a frame and axle members,lifting means mounted on the frame, a movable locking member carried bythe axle members, and a plurality of vertically spaced lugs carried bythe lifting means in position to cooperate withsaid locking member tolock the frame and axle members against relative movement during liftingof the vehicle, the said locking member cooperating with different onesof said lugs depending upon the loading on the frame of the vehicle.

25. In a lifting and propelling mechanism for a vehicle having a driveshaft and differential housing, means for lifting and propelling therear end of said vehicle including an annular member adapted to havedirect contact with said drive shaft and the ground, said annular memberbeing mounted adajacent said differential housing, said lifting andpropelling means having provisions for moving said annular memher intodirect contact with said drive shaft and the ground as said means isactuated to lift the rear end of the vehicle, and means for holding saidlifting and propelling means including the annular member in inoperativeposition.

26. In a lifting and propelling device for a vehicle having a driveshaft with a housing therefor and a drive member on the said shaft,means for lifting one end of the vehicle and means for moving thevehicle when so lifted, comprising an endless annular member directlycontacting with said drive member to be driven thereby in liftedposition of said vehicle, and simultaneously directly contacting withthe ground and providing traction to propel the vehicle along the groundin its lifted position, said endless annular member being mounted tosurround a portion of said drive shaft and housing in inoperativeposition thereof.

27. In a propelling device for a motor vehicle, the combination with amotor vehicle frame, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of theframe, and a housing for a portion of said shaft; of an annular ringmember fitting around said housing in one position thereof, and meansfor moving said annular ring member into another position in which itdirectly contacts with said drive shaft to be driven thereby, andsimultaneously directly contacts with the ground to propel the vehicle.

28. In a parking device for a vehicle having a drive shaft extendinglongitudinally of the vehicle with a housing therefor, a lifting andpropelling mechanism for generally sidewise movement of the vehicleincluding an endless annular member encompassing the said housing ininoperative position thereof, and means for moving the said endlessannular member into position generally transverse of the vehicle inwhich the said endless annular member is in direct contact withthe saiddrive shaft to be driven thereby, and simultaneously in direct contactwith the ground to provide traction for sidewise movement of thevehicle.

THOMAS E. BURKHARDT.

